CDS 2020 English Question Paper -2

COMPREHENSION

Directions : In this section you have two short passages. After each passage, you will find some items based on the passage. Read the passages and answer the items based on them. You are required to select your answers based on the content of the passage and opinion of the author only.

Passage -1

Post colonial cultural analysis has been concerned with the elaboration of theoretical structures that contest the previous dominant western ways of seeing things. A simple analogy would be with feminism, which has involved a comparable kind of project: there was a time when any book you might read, any speech you might hear, any film that you saw, was always told from the point of view of male. The woman was there, but she was always an object, never a subject. From what you would read, or the films you would see, the woman was always the one who was looked at. She was never the observing eye. For centuries it was assumed that women were less intelligent than men and that they did not merit the same degree of education. They were not allowed a vote in the political system. By the same token, any kind of knowledge developed by women was regarded as non-serious, trivial, gossip or alternatively as knowledge that had been discredited by science, such as superstition or traditional practices of childbirth or healing. All these attitudes were part of a laiger system in which women were dominated, exploited, and physically abused by men. Slowly, but increasingly, from the end of 18th century, feminists began to contest this situation. The more they contested it, the more it became increasingly obvious that these attitudes extended into the whole of the culture; social relations, politics, law, medicine, the arts, popular and academic knowledge.

Post colonialism is

(a) a contestation of the then existing dominant western practices

(b) a contestation of western practices in colonial states

(d) an approval of indigenous practices

What does ‘… she was always an object, never a subject’ mean ?

(a) Women were given respect and worshipped

(b) Women were not given any right equal to men

(d) Women liked to be treated inferior to men

Why was ‘she never the observing eye’ ?

(a) She was beautiful, so she was observed by men

(b) She liked to be observed by men

(d) Women were assumed to be more intelligent than men

The contestation to dominance of the male resulted in

(a) participation of women in social relations, politics, law, medicine, the arts, popular and academic knowledge

(b) participation of men in social relations, politics, law, medicine, the arts, popular and academic knowledge

(d) contestations with males in life leading to divorce

Which word in the passage is opposite of ‘contrast’ ?

(a) Contestations

(b) Trivial

(d) Analogy

Passage – II

How wonderful is the living world! The wide range of the living types is amazing. The extraordinary habitats in which we find living organisms, be it cold mountains, deciduous forests, oceans, fresh water lakes, deserts or hot springs, leave us speechless. The beauty of a galloping horse, or a migrating bird, the valley of flowers or the attacking shark evokes awe and a deep sense of wonder. The ecological conflict and cooperation among members of a population and among populations of a community or even a molecular traffic inside a cell make us deeply reflect on – what indeed is life ? This question has two implicit questions within it. The first is a technical one and seeks answer to what living is as opposed to the* non-living, and the second is the philosophical one, and seeks answer to what the purpose of life is.

What is living ? When We try to define ‘living’, we conventionally look for distinctive characteristics exhibited by living organisms. Growth, reproduction, ability to sense environment and mount a suitable response come to our mind immediately as unique features of living organisms. One can add a few more features like metabolism, ability to self-replicate, self-organize, interact and emergence to this list.

Why are the living types amazing ?

(a) The extraordinary diversity of habitats makes it amazing

(b) The living organisms are acting as per their interests

(d) The evolution of life makes it amazing

Why does the author say, ‘ecological conflict Mid cooperation’ ?

(a) Because living organisms are structured this way

(b) Because ecological mechanism works with conflict and cooperation

(d) Because living organisms sometimes fight and sometimes live together

Which of the following statements is true of the passage ?

(a) Meaning of life could be reflected as to what living is as opposed to the non-living and what the purpose of life is

(b) Meaning of life could be reflected as to how living organisms live and non-living organisms exist

(d) Meaning of life could be reflected on how various living organisms differ

Distinctive characteristics exhibited by organisms indicate that

(a) they are living organisms

(b) they are non-living organisms

(d) they know the purpose of life

Which word in the passage means ‘unique’ ?

(a) Common

(b) Characteristics

(d) General

SPOTTING ERRORS

Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled as (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).

He has been(a)/ one the most revered member(b)/ of the committee of enquiry. (c)/No error.(d)

Rahul asked me(a)/ whether I was interested(b)/ to joining the group for the trip.(c)/ No error.(d)

Where there is a will(a)/ then there is a way’(b)/ is an old epithet (c)/No error.(d)

Indian feminism grew out of the women’s movements(a)/ of the late nineteenth century,(b)/reached full maturity in the early twentieth century.(c)/ No error.(d)

The greatest merit of democracy(a)/ is that everyone feels free(b)/and can pursues his/ her interest.(c)/ No error.(d)

All stake holders of education(a)/ have the right to ask for accountability(b)/in every aspects of its implementation.(c)/ No error.(d)

Learning many languages(a)/ promotes linguistic, cultural and social harmonies(b)/among people speaking different languages.(c)/ No error.(d)

One should not act(a)/ according to one’s(b)/ whims and fancies on public places.(c)/No error.(d)

Economists believe that(a)/ India had taken a new turn in 1990(b)/with the liberalization to her economy. (c)/No error.(d)

Irrigation works have a special importance(a)/ in an agricultural countries like India,(b)/where rainfall is unequally distributed throughout the seasons. (c)/No error.(d)

ORDERING OF WORDS IN A SENTENCE

Directions: Each of the following items; in this section consists of a sentence, parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled as P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.

history of life(P)/ evolutionary Biology(Q)/ is forms on earth(R)/ the study of(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) SPQR

(b) QSPR

(d) PSQR

life is considered(P)/ the origin of(Q)/ the history of universe(R)/ a unique event in(S)/

The correct sequence should be

(a) QPSR

(b) PSQR

(d) RSPQ

productive resources is(P)/ how we manage(Q)/ and competitiveness(R)/critical to strategic growth(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) P Q RS

(b) RSPQ

(d) QPSR

in service firms(P)/ operations strategy(Q)/ from the corporate strategy(R)/is generally inseparable(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) SRQP

(b) QPSR

(d) PSQR

are travelling,(P)/ a recent survey has revealed(Q)/that they are worried about their safety(R)/even as more and more Indians(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) SPQR

(b) QSRP

(d) RPSQ

the imagination of children(P)/ stories can exercise(Q)/ more than the stories(R)/ because they tell(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) QRSP

(b) SPQR

(d) RSQP

as a record of(P)/ and suffering of humans(Q)/ the achievements, experiments(R)/history is considered(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) SPRQ

(b) RQSP

(d) QRSP

can be invented(P)/ it appears(Q)/ has been invented(R)/ that all that(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) QSPR

(b) Q R S P

during the last century(P)/ Indian social, political and cultural life(Q)/ as a testimony of(R)/Indian cinema stands(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) S P Q R

(b) QRSP

(d) S R Q P

of all searches for knowledge(P)/ should be the beginning(Q)/ an exploration into truth(R)/and experiments of life(S)

The correct sequence should be

(a) R Q P S

(b) SPQR

(d) Q R S P

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

Directions: Given below are some idioms/phrases followed by four alternative meanings to each. Choose the response (a), (b), (c) or (d) which is the most appropriate expression and mark your response in the Answer Sheet accordingly.

Get the jitters

(a) Feeling anxious

(b) Feeling happy

(d) Feeling exposed

French leave

(a) Absent from work without asking for permission in French

(b) Asking for permission before leaving work

(d) Absent from work without asking for permission

Take a stand

(a) To publicly express an opinion about something

(b) To make a stand for one to sit

(d) To be part of the work

Cut and run

(a) To avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly

(b) To avoid an event suddenly

(d) To ask for sudden meeting with someone

Cut the cord

(a) To stop needing your parents for money

(b) To stop needing someone else to look after you and start acting independently

(d) To be a married person

Cupboard love

(a) Loving someone to get something from the person

(b) Loving the cupboards

(d) Loving to be free of all conditions

Around the comer

(a) A thing which is at the end of the comer

(b) An event or thing which is going to happen soon

(d) An event that happens in the comer of powerful place

With Heavy Heart

(a) With heavy weight

(b) With joy and humour

(d) With pain and regret

Cost a bomb

(a) To be very arrogant

(b) To be with rich people

(d) To be stingy

Roll your sleeves up

(a) To prepare for wrestling

(b) To prepare for hard work

(d) To work with others

ORDERING OF SENTENCES

Directions : In this section each item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as SI and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly on the Answer Sheet.

SI: The country’s economy is growing and would continue to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years.

S6: The market share of electrical vehicles increases with increasing availability of infrastructure.

P : It also provides us an opportunity to grow as manufacturer of electric vehicles.

Q : According to NITI Aayog (2019), if India reaches an electric vehicles sales penetration, emission and oil savings can be achieved.

R: Given the commitments that India has made on the climate front as a nation and on environmental aspects, it is likely that larger and larger share of automobile sector would be in the form of electric vehicles.

S: This presents a great opportunity for the automobile industry as the demand for automobiles would only increase.

The correct sequence should be

(a) SRQP

(b) RQSP

(d) QSRP

SI: Central government receipts can broadly be divided into non-debt and debt receipts.

S6: This is also evident from the composition of non-debt receipts.

P : Debt receipts mostly consist of market borrowing and other liabilities which the government is obliged to repay in the future.

Q : The non-debt receipts comprise of tax revenue, non-tax revenue, recovery of loans and disinvest-ment receipts.

R : The outcomes as reflected in the Provisional Actual figures is lower than the budget estimate owing to reduction in the net tax revenue.

S : The Budget 2018-19 targeted significantly high growth in non debt receipts of the Central Government, which was driven by robust growth.

The correct sequence should be

(a) SRPQ

(b) RSQP

(d) QPRS

SI: Palaeontology is the study of the remains of dead organisms over enormous spans of time.

S6 : Faunal analysis gives information about the animal people hunted and domesticated, the age of animal at death, and the diseases that afflicted them.

P : Bones provide a great information.

Q : The distribution of faunal remains (animal bones) at a site can indicate which areas were used for butchering, cooking, eating, bone tool making and refuse dumping.

R : Within this discipline, molecular biology and DNA studies have been used to understand hominid evolution.

S : Hominid evolution answers the questions about what ancient people looked like, and to plot patterns of migration.

The correct sequence should be

(a) QPRS

(b) SPQR

(d) PQRS

SI: Hormones have several functions in the body.

S6: The two hormones together regulate the glucose level in the blood.

P : They help to maintain the balance of biological activities in the body.

Q : Insulin is released in response to the rapid rise in blood glucose level.

R : On the other hand hormone glucagon tends to increase the glucose level in the blood.

S : The role of insulin in keeping the blood glucose level within the narrow limit is an example of this function.

The correct sequence should be

(a) PSRQ

(b) RSPQ

(d) QRSP

S1: All living things affect the living and non-living things around them.

S6: This inter dependability needs to be understood when we, humans consume much more than required and abuse nature.

P : This can also affect the population of fox, if foxes depend on rabbits for food.

Q : For example, earthworms make burrows and worm casts.

R : This act of earthworms affects the soil, and therefore the plants growing in it.

S : Rabbit’s fleas carry the virus which causes myxomatosis, so they can affect the size of the rabbit population.

The correct sequence should be

(a) RSQP

(b) PSRQ

(d) SQRP

SI: The ecosystem of water is complex and many environmental factors are intricately linked.

S6: The trees slowly transfer rainwater into the sub-soil and this is critical for sustaining water for months after the rains.

P : Thick forests make for excellent catchments.

Q : The problems we see are because we have undermined these links over decades.

R : First, rain and snowfall are the only sources of water – about 99%.

S : In the four months of monsoon, there are about 30-35 downpours and the challenge is to hold this water in systems that can last us over 365 days.

The correct sequence should be

(a) Q R S P

(b) PSRQ

(d) RQSP

SI: Politics is exciting because people disagree.

S6: It is not solitary people who make politics and a good society; it is the people together which make good politics and society.

P : For Aristotle politics is an attempt to create a good society because politics is, above all, a social activity.

Q : They also disagree about how such matters should be resolved, how collective decision should be made and who should have a say.

R : They disagree about how they should live.

S : Who should get what ? How should power and other resource be distributed ? Should society be based on cooperation or conflict ? And so on.

The correct sequence should be

(a) R S Q P

(b) PQSR

(d) RSPQ

SI: Regular exercise makes many of the organ systems become more efficient.

S6: Different activities require different levels of fitness.

P : It can improve your strength; make your body more flexible and less likely to suffer from sprain.

Q : It can also improve your endurance.

R : It also uses up energy and helps to prevent large amounts of fat building up in the body.

S : Exercise can increase your fitness in three ways.

The correct sequence should be

(a) QRSP

(b) RSPQ

(d) SQRP

SI: On increasing the temperature of solids, the kinetic energy of the particles increases.

S6: The temperature at which a solid melts to become a liquid at the atmospheric pressure is called its melting point.

P : A stage is reached when the solid melts and is converted to a liquid.

Q : Due to the increase in kinetic energy, the particles start vibrating with greater speed.

R : The particles leave their fixed positions and start moving more freely.

S : The energy supplied by heat overcomes the forces of attraction between the particles.

The correct sequence should be

(a) QSRP

(b) QRSP

(d) SPRQ

SI: Things are often not what they seem.

S6: This happened without you even knowing it. So imagine the changes that occur to this earth and humanity.

P : But you are really not, because the Milky Way galaxy, of which you are a part, is moving through space at 2.1 million kilometre an hour.

Q : So in roughly twenty second that it would have taken you to read this paragraph, you have already moved thousands of kilometre.

R : And that is without taking into account the effects of earth’s rotation on its own axis, its orbiting around the sun and sun’s journey around the Milky Way.

S : As you read this sentence, perhaps sitting in a comfortable chair in your study, you would probably consider yourself at rest.

The correct sequence should be

(a) Q RP S

(b) RQ P S

(d) SPRQ

FILL IN THE BLANKS

Directions: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space and four words or group of words are given after the sentence. Select the most appropriate word or group of words for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

If I ____ a good match 1 would have got married.

(a) had found

(b) have found

(d) have

The lady has been declared as one of the top ten____ of the community.

(a) more powerful members

(b) most powerful members

(d) more powerful member

When I visited the villages nearby the city I____ many water bodies intact.

(a) came across

(b) come across

(d) came in

He has lost all his investments and he is____ .

(a) broke

(b) broken

(d) defunct

He ___ Whether he could get any certificate for the course.

(a) said

(b) told

(d) asked

I___ farewell to all my course mates last year.

(a) bid

(b) bade

(0 said

(d) bad

Very few of the texts from very early Vedic period are_____ now.

(a) extant

(b) exit

(d) redundant

A speech is a____ address, delivered to an audience that seeks to convince, persuade, inspire or inform.

(a) formal

(b) informal

(d) political

All that ___ is not gold.

(a) glitter

(b) glitters

(d) gliding

Having been in politics for about 40 years, the party now treats him like___.

(a) a have been

(b) a had been

(d) would have been

SYNONYMS

Directions: Each item in this section consists of a sentence -with an bold word(s) followed by four words/group of words. Select the option that is nearest in meaning to the bold word and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

Emboldened by its success, the leader now plans to go ahead with the plan and implementation.

(a) Encouraged

(b) Disgruntled

(d) Failed

It is encouraging to see India’s indigenous cinema is going places.

(a) homogenous

(b) classical

(d) Non-native language

The ability to imagine and conceive a common good is inconsistent with what is known as ‘pleonexia’ is a major struggle for a good democracy to realize.

(a) Greed to grab everything for oneself

(b) Greed to accumulate more and more wealth

(d) Over ambitious

He tried to avoid saying something that would implicate him further.

(a) reward

(b) incriminate

(d) incite

The statutory corporate tax which forms the major income of the government has not changed this year.

(a) legislature

(b) unlawful

(d) legal

He has been part of the all dissident activities.

(a) rebellious

(b) supportive

(d) legal

Advocacy is one major component of any new programme.

(a) promotion

(b) opposition

(d) liking

People avoided him for his high mindedness.

(a) toughness

(b) strong principles

(d) whims

There is a tendency to treat social changes as mere development in terms of accumulation of wealth.

(a) position

(b) predisposition

(d) idea

During the ancient period poets were patronized through various institutions.

(a) supported

(b) respected

(d) scolded

ANTONYMS

Directions: Each item in this section consists of sentences with an bold word followed by four words or group of words. Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the bold word and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

The archaic thinking leads to unfounded beliefs.

(a) antiquated

(b) outmoded

(d) modem

Police had to resort to tear gas to diffuse tension among the crowd.

(a) concentrate

(b) scatter

(d) strew

Unrest in some pockets made the city dwellers confine themselves at home.

(a) Turbulence

(b) Unease

(d) Calm

Peace and tranquility are instruments which would boost the development of society

(a) uproar

(b) calm

(d) sound

Barring a decision of such disputes, other matters relating to the election of President or Vice-President may be regulated by law made by Parliament.

(a) excepting

(b) without

(d) excluding

His speech was full of emotions and it was an extempore.

(a) prepared

(b) readymade

(d) ad lib

The teacher asked her students to understand the ensuing problems and address them suitably.

(a) subsequent

(b) consequent

(d) en suite

All the allegations against the actor were expunged by the committee of inquiry.

(a) got rid of

(b) part of

(d) rejected

His relatives dissuaded him from giving up the job.

(a) persuaded

(b) discouraged

(d) deter

He is one of the confidants of the leader and can influence the decision of the government.

(a) opponents

(b) intimate

(d) colleague

PARTS OF SPEECH

Directions: Each of the following sentences has a word or phrase bold. Read the sentences carefully and find which part of speech the bold word is. Indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

All the pilgrims rested for a while under the banyan tree.

(a) Adverb

(b) Place value

(d) Verb

The wonderful statue of the leader welcomes all people to city.

(a) Object

(b) Adjective

(d) Noun

This is his pen.

(a) Possessive pronoun

(b) Possessive adjective

(d) Verb

When people found that the jewel was in records of Rahim, they gave it to him.

(a) Pronoun

(b) Nominative

(d) Adverb

It is eleven O’clock now and all of us should retire to bed.

(a) Personal pronoun

(b) Relative pronoun

(d) Verb

The flower is very beautiful.

(a) Adjective

(b) Adverb

(d) Conjunction

This boy is stronger than Ramesh.

(a) Pronoun

(b) Adjective

(d) Adverb

I hurt myself.

(a) Noun

(b) Pronoun

(d) Adjective

The ants fought the wasps.

(a) Intransitive verb

(b) Transitive verb

(d) Adjective

I can hardly believe it.

(a) Adjective

(b) Preposition

(d) Verb

CLOZE COMPOSITION

Directions: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four words or group of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider the most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

The difficult thing about the science of habits is that

(a) studying

(b) study

(d) are studying

most people, when they hew about this field of research,

(a) wanting

(b) wanted

(d) want

to know the secret formula for quickly changing any habit. If scientists have discovered how patterns work, then it stands to reason that they

(a) those

(b) this

(d) that

have also found a recipe for rapid change, right ? If only it

(a) must

(b) will

(d) might

that easy. It’s not

(a) are

(b) were

(d) will be

formulas don’t’

(a) these

(b) this

(d) which

exist. The problem is that there isn’t one formula for

(a) changing

(b) changed

(d) changes for

habits. There are thousands. Individuals and habits are

(a) full

(b) all

(d) most

different, and so the specifics of diagnosing and changing the patterns in our lives differ from person to and behaviour to behaviour. Giving up

(a) people

(b) persons

(d) person

cigarettes is different curbing overeating, which is different

(a) from

(b) since

(d) into

from changing how you communicate with your spouse,

(a) it

(b) this

(d) which

is different from how you prioritize tasks at work. What’s more, each person’s habits are by different cravings. As a result, this book does not

(a) broken

(b) given

(d) prescribed

one prescription. Rather, I hoped to deliver something

(a) contain

(b) contains

(d) containing

else: a framework for understanding ‘ habits work and a

(a) how

(b) what

(d) whose

guide to experimenting with how they change. Some

(a) might

(b) would

(d) must

habits yield easily to analysis and influence. Others are

(a) quiet

(b) most

(d) more

complex and obstinate, and require prolonged study. And for others, change is a ‘ that never fully concludes. But that does not

(a) process

(b) processing

(d) processes

it can’t occur. Each chapter in this book explains

(a) means

(b) meant

(d) mean

a different aspect of why habits exist and how they function. The framework in this section is an attempt to distil, in

(a) describing

(b) described

(d) description

very basic way, the tactics that researchers have found for diagnosing and shaping habits within our own lives.

(a) a

(b) any

(d) rather

SPELLING MISTAKE

Directions: In this section a word is spelt in four different ways. Identify the one which is correct. Choose the correct response (a), (b), (c) or (d) and indicate on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Mountaneous

(b) Mountenous

(d) Mountainous

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling?

(a) Etiquette

(b) Etiquete

(d) Etequtte

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Curriculam

(b) Curiculum

(d) Curriculum

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Magnificent

(b) Magnificant

(d) Magenficient

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Felecitation

(b) Felicitation

(d) Felicitasion

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Twelth

(b) Twelfth

(d) Twelthe

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Snobbery

(b) Snoberry

(d) Snobbory

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Neurasis

(b) Nuroesis

(d) Neuresis

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Dipthteria

(b) Diptheria

(d) Diphthria

Which one of the following alternatives has the correct spelling ?

(a) Meagre

(b) Megare

(d) Megear